Rwanda was from ancient times a highly centralized kingdom
presided over by Tutsi kings who hailed from one ruling clan. The royal dynasties
trace back their origins to the ascendance of King Ndahiro I (c.1350 – c.1386). Through the ages the
Tutsi kings ruled through three categories of chiefs: the cattle chiefs, the
land chiefs, and the military chiefs. The chiefs were predominantly, but not
exclusively, Tutsi, especially the cattle and military chiefs. Although the
relationship between the king and the rest of the population was unequal and
parasitic, the relationship between the ordinary Hutu, Tutsi and Twa was one
of mutual benefit mainly through the exchanges of their labor. The
relationship between the ordinary people was symbiotic. By the time the
Germans came as the first colonial conquerors, the social structures of
present-day Rwanda were highly organized and pyramidal in nature.

Despite the fiercely independent spirit of its monarch Kigeli IV (Rwabugiri) (1853 -
‘95), Rwanda fell under the control of the German East Africa Company
by an act of the Berlin International Conference of 1884-85.

In 1961 kingship was abolished by constitution but the
last king, Kigeli V, still maintains his claim to the throne.

Rwanda, which became a part of German East
Africa.in 1890, was first visited by European explorers in 1854.
During World War I, it was occupied in 1916 by Belgian troops. In 1919, it
became a Belgian League of Nations mandate, along with Burundi, under the
name of Ruanda-Urundi. The mandate was made a UN trust territory in 1946.
Until the Belgian Congo achieved independence in 1960, Ruanda-Urundi was
administered as part of that colony. The
Belgian mandate administration ended in October 1960 when a Rwandese
government was founded. On 28 January 1961 a Hutu-administration proclaimed a
republicwith the name “Republique
Rwandaise”. This republic was recognized by resolution of the United Nations
of 1 July 1962.

In Oct. 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), Tutsi
rebels in exile in Uganda, invaded in an attempt to overthrow the Hutu-led
Rwandan government. Peace accords were signed in Aug. 1993, calling for a
coalition government. But after the downing of a plane in April 1994 that
killed the presidents of both Rwanda and Burundi, deep-seated ethnic violence
erupted.

In May 2003, 93% of Rwandans voted to approve a new
constitution that instituted a balance of political power between Hutu and
Tutsi. No party, for example, can hold more than half the seats in
parliament. The constitution also outlawed the incitement of ethnic hatred.

The traditional symbols of Tutsi royalty consist of the
drum kalinga, the shield and the royal headdress and staff. Recently,
titulary King Kigali V has adopted an achievement in European heraldic style.

The Drum

The kingly power of the mwami was
symbolized by the kalinga, a large ceremonial drum frequently decorated
with the dried heads and dessicated testicles of vanquished opponents of the
royal armies. Rwandan author and historian Benjamin Sehene writes that “an
atmosphere of veneration and a grand ceremonial surrounded the kalinga
(“token of hope”), which was kept in a palace, protected day and night by a
special guard.” This important symbol was painted with the blood of bulls,
which gave it a reddish-brown appearance, and was often escorted by three
other royal drums, called “He possesses knowledge,” “the Country expands” and
“the Nations are subject to me.” If ever the kalinga were lost or
captured in battle, it was universally believed that this setback would
certainly signal disaster for the entirety of the Rwandan nation.

The mwami was the supreme servant of the drum. Only
noble Tutsi were permitted to beat the drum and the king could only ascend to
the throne after he had mastered the drum.

Basketry shields
were another symbol of royalty, besides the royal drum. Theruling court of Rwanda or Mwami used
similar but much larger basketry shields as shown here, to cover their royal
drums. The drums, never allowed to touch the ground, were transported
everywhere by hammock and stood on stools. The large basketryshields were, and maybe still are, used to
protect these royal drums whenever they are on public display. [1]

The
Headdress

The actual royal headdress dates from the reign of king
Mutara III (1931-’59) (right). It consists of a cap or diadem of beadwork in
a pattern of blue and white triangles, adorned with tufts of baboons’ manes.
Pending from it are two chin straps.

The oldest royal headdress known is seen on a picture of
King Kigeli IV (1853-’95) (left), the cap or diadem considerably narrower,
and the tufts of baboons’ hair less lavishly than in the modern version.

The
Royal Achievement

The royal achievement, adopted by king Kigeli V is to be
blasoned as follows:

The achievement is accompanied by three five-pointed and
faceted stars Or, two in chief and one in base,symbolizing the Tutsi, Hutu and Twa.

The Order of the Drum was founded by King Kigali V. The
cross consists of a blue enameled Maltese cross, the locket charged with the
royal drum Kalinga, between the four arms a crested crane and a lion
alternately.

The collar consists of shackles of the royal cypher “KV”
and the Rwandese Royal crown in gold.

Under Belgian rule
the lesser Belgian royal seal was used with the legend “RuandaUrundi” and the name of the service. After
WW. II, when the United Nations had replaced the League of Nations, a badge
for the chiefs was introduced. This consisted of a diamond-shaped shield of
84 Î 47 mm [2]). It was gold with
a red bordure and showed a royal drum with a red kettle, a black skin and
golden guy ropes. In chief was the word “RWANDA” in black lettering. Above the
shield, as a kind of crest, there was the traditional headdress of the Mwami
(king) consisting of a bunch of white feathers and a red and white speckled
diadem. On a white listel below the shield was the motto “IMBAGA Y’INYABUTATU
IJAMBERE” (The Three Peoples United will Prosper). This motto refers
to the three peoples of Rwanda : the Twa, the Tutsi and the Hutu.

The first coat of arms of the Republic was adopted after
the proclamation of independence by Art. 4 of the republican constitution [3]
This article, repeated in Art. 3 of the Constitution of30 May 1991 reads:

Article 3 [Flag, Seal, Anthem]

(1) The national flag shall consist of bands of red,
yellow, and green color, starting from the pole, and with the letter 'R' in
black in the center of the yellow band. The Motto of the Republic shall be
"Liberty, Cooperation, Progress."

(2) The Seal of the Republic shall be composed of
ideograms of a dove and olive branch, a hoe and billhook, a bow and arrow,
respectively symbolizing peace, work, and the defense of democratic
liberties, in addition to the name and the motto of the Republic, all of it
being framed by two National Flags placed opposite each other.

(3) The National Anthem shall be determined by law.

ð Billhooks are called mugishu.
Larger examples were used for chopping and hacking for centuries regionally
by the Hutu, Tutsi, Rundi, Hima, Havu, Hunde, Shi, Fuliru and Lega. Tutsi
beaded miniature examples were status objects owned by higher ranked persons.

After the civil war a new state emblem was adopted by Art.
6 of the Constitution of 26 May 2003. The article reads:

Article 6

The national symbols of Rwanda are the flag, the motto,
the seal and the national anthem.

The national flag is made up of three colours: green,
yellow and blue.

The flag comprises the following colours from the bottom
to the top: a green strip, followed by a yellow strip both of which cover
half the flag. The upper half is blue and bears on its right hand side the
image of the sun with its rays of golden yellow. The sun and its rays are
separated by a blue ring.

The law determines the characteristics, significance,
usage and ceremonials of the national flag.

The motto of the Republic is: UNITY, WORK, PATRIOTISM.

The Seal of the Republic is made up of a circular green rope
with a green knot at the base, bearing on its upper part, the imprints
« REPUBULIKA
Y'U RWANDA ». At the bottom of the knot is the motto of the
Republic: « UBUMWE,
UMURIMO, GUKUNDA IGIHUGU ». All these inscriptions are in black
against a yellow background.

The Seal of the Republic also bears the following
ideograms: the sun with its rays, a stem of sorghum anda branch of a
coffee tree, a basket, a blue wheel with teeth and two shields one on the
right and one on the left.

ð see illustration in the
head of this essay.

The central symbol of the emblem is a
traditional basket which is still in use in Rwanda. Shown are four examples
of such baskets, now in the National Museum of Rwanda.

Basket, cogwheel,
sorghum and coffee are “protected” by two Tutsi shields.